Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-26
BROKEN ON THE WHEEL.

of my travels | found myself In the pleasant
old town OF Oajaca, which is the capital OF
the state Of that name. | got acquainted
there with two young doctors from New
York, who were gathering points on yellow
fever and other diseases OF the kind, which
are staple in that part of Mexico. soon
found out that the people thereabout didn't
mind a little thing like the yellow fever, but
they were in constant dread OF LulguI 10
Tampasa, O rObber chief, who swooped down
with his bloody band on the villages at short
intervals. cutting and slasLing on every hand
and bearing away much booty. One day
while | was in Oaiaca there came great up
roar in the streets, and l saw men, women,
and children, of all sizes and colors, running
excitedly about. Going out TO inquire as to
the cause OF the hubbub, was surprised to
hear that the terror of the mountains, the
bloody Luigui le Tampasa, had, by some mis-
take of the authorities, been surprised and
captured, and was even then in the Oajaca
prison.
Il had curiosity to see this bold and cruel
robber chieftain who has SO long detied the
government and levied unlimited tribute on
the populace, and each visit of whose murder
Gus band TO q village had been attended not
only with loss of treasure to the dweiiers, but
with the abduction of its fairest maidens as
well Accompanied by the preside OF the
town was admitted to the presence Of Lul-
gui He was confined in a dark and narrow
cell, around which the flaming torch of an
attendant threw ftful glare The prisoner
was heavily ironed. lie was stretched at
length on the stone floor. His face was
turned deiantly toward his visitors. It was
villainous face, and one once seen never to
be forgotten. He wore the picturesque dress
of the Mexican freebooter at that time, and
in his ears were pair of enormous gold
hoops that added to the savagenesS of his
appearance. He stubbornly refused TO an
swer any question asked him, and We left him
in a few minutes alone.
"Well, Luigui le Tampasa was tried the next
day after his capture, convicted and sentenced
to be broken on the wheel-a punishment
that was considered too mild even to infiict
upon the heartless criminal Ny two young
friends, the doctors, solicited the preside to
present them with the body of the robber
after he had served his sentence on the wheel,
as they desired to inspect and study it in the
interest of medical science. The preside
seemed glad TO make such disposition OF the
DON1 "a OILiSSA ~ W
| was at their rooms when couple of guards
brought the late LIE Tampasa in. They had
him in bushel basket. When the basket
was turned upside down on the table the rob-
Der chIeftain came out of it confused and
tangled mass Of human parts. 1t took some
time to Gisentangle them and straighten him
out on tie table. There seemed to be no bone
in his body that wasn't either broken or dis
turbed. His face was just as 1 had seen it
in the cell, and the great hoops of gold were
in his ears. They are gift the preside
sent word by the guards, to the young
Americans
"The doctors said they had seen some
tolerably tough cases in their brief careers,
but that remnant of Luigui le Tampasa was
trifle ahead of their time
awe can never make manikin of him.
said one of the young fellows, for he's in
too manv pieces. We never could wire him
together. The only thing we can get out Of
this is to carve him and make a report on the
efficacy of the Mexican wheel IS reducer Of
the human frame
"By and by they got out their dissecting
knives and prepared to go TO work, I stayed
to see how it was DONE As one of the doctors,
with his head close to the late terror's chest,
was about to make a slash there with his
knife, he jumped back as if be had seen
snake, almost upsetting his companion and
myself. Then he stepped quickly back to the
table. again, clapped his ear down on the dead
robbers breast, held it there a moment, and
then turned to US with q look of great disgust
on his face and exclaimed:
"'We're done out of our job The Internal
scoundrel's alive'
THAT struck me as being such a good Joke
life in a man who had been run through
threshing machine, so TO speak-thae | burst
out laughing. As was in the midst Of my
unrestrained mirth my gaze fell on the face
OF Luigui lie Tampasa, late deceased, aud if a
laugh ever died quick that one Of mine did
Both of the robber chiefs wicked black eyes
were open, and they were glaring straight at
HE. 1t takes good deal to make me feel I'M
comfortable, as you all know, but at that
moment my knees shook, and l wanted TO 90
home. But l couldn't move. The doctors
were a little ratified themselves for spell.
but they finally held a consultation as to
what they should do, knock Luigui on the
head and finish him and proceed with the
post mortem, or help him along toward re-
covering a full supply Of animated vigor
One of the doctors was in favor OF knocking
the tough robber or the head. and the other
wanted to experiment with him 10 see how
few whole bones a man really could have and
enjoy life ! refused TO arbitrate the case
and finally they tossed a cent-heads, help
Luigui on in life; tails, knock him on the
head and so on with the original job. Heads
won, ana the two doctors went TO work 10
put TampaSa together and give him q new
start in life.
We'll, in two months they had the blood
thirsty villain with as much life and vim in
him as he ever had. But he was twisted out
OF any kind Of shape and was as helpless as a
Chinese idol, and just about as handsome.
They hadn't taken his big earrings, and he
looked just SIS savage, and as far as inclina-
ton went, seemed 70 be just as big villain
as ever. When the dismantied freebooter
was convalescent, it seemed 10 dawn on the
minds of my friends, the doctors, that they
had large elephant on thar hands. Here
was man who BY law was dead. The doc
tors did not dare let il be known that, thanks
to them, he wasn't dead, for the consequences
would have been serious TO themselves. They
couldn't lind Ii in their hearts 10 hand him
back 70 the preside, with their compliments,
and request him 70 have the gentleman run
through the machine again, and they GER
tainly did not propose to keep him in their
apartments. no matter what his value might
be as piece Of animate brio brio. What
were they to do with himi One doctor pro
posed that they draw lots 10 see who should
shoot Tampasa, but that was not agreed to.
The other suggested that they put the result
OF their unfortunate skill into a bag and
carry it of somewhere and lose it, Ike an
objectionable cat All the while this crippled
villain SGT il the corner where he had bsen
nlsced and drank tis pUJaue and ste his food